


Never Stop Running

by trispitas



Series: Heaven Doesn't Want Me [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Angst, Angst and Feels, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt, England (Country), Escape, France (Country), Friendship, Gen, Germany, Hurt, I'm Bad At Tagging, Not Canon Compliant, On the Run, POV Neil Josten, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fic, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:07:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trispitas/pseuds/trispitas
Summary: Nathaniel escapes his father and starts a new life in England, but the calm doesn't last long, and his life on the run begins.Prompt taken froman (un)solved askfor a fic where Neil meets Erik during his time on Germany, posted on@aftgficrecon Tumblr
Relationships: Stuart Hatford & Neil Josten
Series: Heaven Doesn't Want Me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087022
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	1. Alex

**Author's Note:**

> The mini soundtrack that fueled this series:  
> [Heaven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY0fKN0Q5H8) by Blink-182  
> [Broken Angel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_D6KLs_Uek) by Grouplove  
> [Baltimore’s Fireflies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh5TsDBBDig) by Woodkid  
> [Who are you, really?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk1dkG8IK10) by Mikky Ekko  
> [Mother Tongue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLBhbBTukY) by Joshua Moss  
> Enjoy!

* * *

_I have nothing left to prove_   
_'Cause_ _I have nothing left to lose_

* * *

Months had passed since Stuart picked Nathaniel and took him to London. 

The first thing made by the head of the  Hatfords was to get rid of Nathaniel, so he had been Alexander since then. But he  preferred to be called Alex. 

Alex had nothing to do with Nathaniel, but they had lots in common at the same time. Alex was dark-haired, had darker eyes, and had a perfect British accent.  He went to school without daily new bruises to hide, yet his afternoons were still filled with torture. Of another kind, but torture nonetheless.

Uncle Stuart was skeptical about Mary’s fate. He couldn’t believe his sister ran away from the Butcher without her son. It wasn’t possible. Ever since Alex told the man every single  detail he could recall from their time together to the years alone in Baltimore, Stuart had been turning the world upside down in a failed attempt to find Mary. 

Both knew that if she wasn’t dead by then, she was safely disguised and hidden. 

The  Hatford siblings were only Stuart and Mary. They had been inseparable. They had grown together to become the future of the  Hatford gang. Stuart believed Mary would never part his side until she met a certain Nathan  Wesninski and stayed with him. Stuart could never forgive his sister for her betrayal, but he still loved her as much. That was why Mary only told Alex to call Stuart in case of a great emergency. And now, Alex was about to regret his decision.

From time to time, uncle Stuart forgot Alex wasn’t his toddler. He forgot Mary was missing alone because Alex wasn’t fast enough, not because Alex had pushed her away. Those times, he turned violent to Alex, and Alex did the only thing he was mastering fast: run.

Other times, Stuart saw in Alex the next generation of the  Hatfords , but Alex had no intention of becoming the thing he hated the most, so there were lots of misunderstandings. However, it was better than nothing, so Alex chose to stay.

Until he was found.

Besides the occasional lockdown with uncle Stuart either because of his obsession with finding Mary or because a business getting out of control, Alex could come and go as he pleased, so once in a while, despite his fears and his inability to make friends, Alex found himself hanging out with his classmates.

That day, Sophie, a girl from a year ahead, was brushing her fingers along Alex's hands. She was blushing. Alex felt lost, lost, lost. In between punishments and his constant fight to get out either from Baltimore’s basement, or uncle Stuart’s office, he had never had time to think about girls. Or anything else, for that matter. 

So, for Sophie, it turned one of the biggest disappointments of her life that when she finally pressed her lips against Alex’s, the boy opened his eyes for a brief second, only to see if he was doing well when he almost jumped out of his skin.

There was no time to explain, no time to apologize. A big bright crazy smile was promising Alex a very painful afternoon if he didn’t vanish at that moment. 

Sophie tried to go after him, get an explanation, mock him. The other kids turned around to see what was happening, but Alex was already speeding through tables and chairs, fighting his way out of Lola’s reach.

He was twenty minutes away from the  Hatford’s place. Alex could make it fifteen if he pushed hard enough. He took a shortcut through a narrow alley, but his path was cut by two hundred pounds of muscle, and that awful chef knife. Alex turned on his heels and got back to the main street. He felt the gash Lola made in his leg.

Romero wasn’t far, and he was ready. As Alex attempted to keep running, the man grabbed him by the hair and made him stumble backward.  DiMaccio and Lola were already approaching. Nathan shouldn’t be far behind. 

The fear Alex promised himself not to fell again started spreading from the base of his skull. He had sworn not going back to Baltimore. Uncle Stuart and his men had taught him how to fight. He wasn’t ten anymore. 

Alex fought.

In the end, it turned to be as useless as if he hadn’t tried. The Butcher men were far more skilled, bigger, and vicious. Plus, they were there only to kill Alex. He had turned into a loose end they needed to get rid of. Another garbage bag to dispose of.

A cry was fighting the way out from Alex’s throat. He wasn’t giving them the pleasure. Not even when his heart was threatening to shatter his ribs. 

They were hidden in a dead alley. There was no way out. Unless...

Alex managed to fight the fear and kicked hard behind him. Romero wasn’t expecting more from Alex, so he used the confusion caused to crawl behind the small opening in the wire-mesh behind them, and broke into an unstoppable race.

He heard shouts behind. He heard Nathan’s orders to the others. He heard muted gunshots. He felt the familiar terrible burning extending from his arm to the rest of his body. He didn’t stop. 

He wasn’t going to stop running ever again.


	2. Stephan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~Neil~~ Stephan meets one Erik Klose during his stay in Germany.  
> But good things never last.

* * *

_Now you're moving on and you say you're alone_   
_Suspicious that this string is moving your bones_

* * *

When Stephan wasn’t thinking about the moment the Butcher would find him next, he actually liked France. Too bad he was leaving. 

After eleven months, Stephan knew it was time to move again. That was why he was in the airport, with his new fake identity and a boarding pass to Germany ready in hand. His brief fortunate life under the protection of the Hatfords now seemed more like a dream. Except for the encounter with Nathan, of course. 

It was a close call. 

After that, Stephan decided his best shot was to pass unnoticed. He got rid of the fancy clothes Stuart gave him and exchanged them for lousy shirts, oversized jeans, and a couple of sweatshirts he could fit inside a duffel bag. 

Besides his eight outfits, Stephan also had a gun hidden on the bottom of the bag and a binder with a small fortune given by uncle Stuart, plus a growing collection of paper cuts started in London, fed by the lonely days in France. 

Stephan’s love for Exy, along with the curiosity for what had become of Kevin and Riko, summed to the fame they were gaining, only fueled his interest to know everything about them. It was easier and safer to research the boys than trying to look for his mother-because uncle Stuart had made him believe again Mary was alive. It was also better being obsessed with their success than getting mad because he couldn’t play anymore. 

Sometimes, when he had plenty of free time like then, when he still couldn’t board the plane, Stephan allowed himself to daydream what would have happened if he had stayed in Evermore. What would his life be if his face appeared in every Exy magazine and ad? Despite he had lived the hell of the Master firsthand three times, he still couldn’t bite back the jealousy burning towards Kevin and Riko. 

“Hey kid, you okay?” 

It took Stephan precious seconds for an escape when he noticed the tall man talking to him. He was blond and strong-built, but still, he had some softness in his gaze. 

“I’m fine.” 

“All right, you mind if I sit here? There’s no more room.” 

Stephan only hugged tighter his duffel bag and didn’t say another word. 

Turned out the man had the seat beside him on the plane too, so he spent the entire flight talking to Stephan. Even though he tried not to talk at all, in the end, he liked the guy. 

It turned out his name was Erik Klose. He was coming back from a short holiday in France. His boyfriend couldn’t go with him because he was taking care of some complicated family drama in the States. Stephan wondered a thousand times why he was still listening. 

The plane finally landed, and Erik parted with a bright smile. 

“Really kid, whatever you need while you’re here, call me. Here’s my number.” 

As soon as Erik turned his back, Stephan crumpled the paper and throw it away. 

He didn’t need friends. He didn’t need to put anybody else in danger. He certainly didn’t need to know another thing about this guy’s family or his personal problems. Stephan was already drowned with his own concerns. 

*** 

Life in Germany turned as good as it was in France. The increasing paranoia of meeting the Butcher stopped Stephan short from getting too loose or comfortable. He was always looking behind his back. He didn’t trust his blond dye, but he was long used to wearing contacts at least. It was sort of a blessing not seeing his father’s face in the mirror every day. 

With everything against him, Stephan attempted anyway to have a “normal” life. He went to school. He lived in scrappy hostels or sometimes in the street. He fed lies to his teachers. From time to time, Stuart sent a letter or came personally to act as a tutor and avoid further questions about Stephan’s parents. He kept feeding his binder with paper cuts from Kevin and Riko. He was careful with Stuart’s money since he wasn’t getting much more after turning his back on him. He also hoped more every time that he could find his mother if she was still alive. 

“Stephan?” He flinched hard with the greeting. He wasn’t used to the name. He wasn’t used to be called by anyone. 

Ready to fight or flight, Stephan turned around only to find Erik, the guy from the airport, approaching him. 

“ _Hallo.”_

Erik’s surprised face reminded Stephan they had talked in French when they met. 

“Du wählst die Sprache schnell aus?” _You're picking the language fast?_ Erik asked while taking a seat beside Stephan. 

“Ich bin,” Stephan replied. 

Every instinct was yelling at him to run, run, run, but there was something so friendly about Erik that made Stephan feel _comfortable._

As weeks went by, they got used to meet in the park. Not always the same place, not always planned, not always alone. From time to time, Erik would have friends with him and occasionally, he would invite Stephan over to his house, but Stephan declined every invitation. He didn’t need this nice dude in more danger than what he actually was just because Stephan liked to have sort of a _friend_. 

The word seemed strange to even think. Stephan had never had any friends. Not even when he was playing in little Exy leagues. Not as he grew up. No way he would socialize during his last years in Baltimore. Since there was no one around to remind him how bad it was to get attached, Stephan kept meeting Erik. He also valued that the man respected his privacy and hadn’t pushed Stephan about his clothes or his battered appearance when he was lacking sleep, or even the fact that he spoke perfect German only a few weeks from getting there. 

That was why it was so hard to say goodbye. 

It had been more than a year since Stephan arrived to Germany. He had thought about it thoroughly. He was going back to America. Montreal sounded like a good city to hide. He was telling Erik something about a scholar exchange. He was thinking that maybe he could spare a few thousand dollars from his small stash and gift Erik a plane ticket to visit his boyfriend. 

Stephan couldn’t do any of those things as one day, getting out from school, he found the silhouette of a huge man waiting on the corner. 

Across the street, two other men Stephan vaguely recalled from Baltimore had his eyes fixed on him. This time, Stephan didn’t have the certainty of uncle Stuart’s place and his people armed to the teeth close enough to keep him safe as it happened in England. The only thing he had, was the hope that a few hundred dollars extra could change the date of his flight to _right now._

He knew that running wouldn’t help if everyone tried to catch him and help. Nathan’s people had their own ways to clear a path without a drop of blood when they wanted. It will only make their job easier. Stephan fought the need of his legs to start running and kept a slow pace towards a big street. 

The same fear that never left was growing without control. He had outrun the Butcher before; he could do it again. It was getting harder, as he got used to his relative freedom, but he was capable. Stephan dared to look back only to find Romero following him from several feet behind. 

Lola was marching along with his brother across the street. DiMaccio and the other guys were nowhere to be seen. Stephan slid a hand inside his duffel bag and grabbed the handle of his gun. It was a small one. He had only six bullets. He couldn’t use it in a panic attack or he was as good as dead. 

It was a working day, so there weren’t many people on the street. Stephan needed to take the subway or a cab in order to reach the airport. He wasn’t making it with the bad guys on his heels. The subway signal appeared close. It was his only chance to escape. If he needed to cause a big fuss to get there, then so be it. 

Stephan broke into a wild run. 

He was a light runner, but his footsteps resonated strong along the underground building. He jumped the entrance and hurried to catch the nearest train before the police or the Butcher’s men got their hands on him. 

The gunshot roared across the whole station. The train wasn’t coming anytime soon. Shouts were getting closer. People started to panic. Stephan needed to get lost and there was no way out. 

DiMaccio was smashing policemen like they were puppets, and Lola was cutting her way to Stephan. He heard the upcoming train approaching from the other lane. He walked backward until his back hit the wall. Romero was ready to catch him. Stephan didn’t have any more time to think. He ran full speed and jumped to cross the rails to the other side as he had seen in some parkour videos. 

There was a crack, a pop, and a wild pain spreading from Stephan’s shoulder as he rolled on his back and stood up again. The train stopped in time to be an unavoidable barrier between Romero and another guy from getting to Stephan. 

Oblivious to the afraid expressions of the people around him, Stephan took his arm back to place with another pop and headed straight for the airport. 

Erik’s farewell gifts will have to wait for another time. 

Or another life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter :)


	3. Chris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~Neil~~ Chris couldn't be more broken and then, his future turns to dust.  
> Or how many times can I make myself cry.

* * *

_And make decisions that you think are your own_   
_You are a stranger here, why have you come?_

* * *

There were more than a dozen names and something rounding thirty cities separating Chris from Nathaniel, but he still couldn’t feel safe. The encounters with the Butcher and his men had increased alarmingly. There was no place to hide. Chris was running out of skin to scar. 

Paranoia had become part of his daily life. He still tried to go to school. He still managed to increase the number of paper cuts about Kevin, Riko, and even Jean’s life. Out of habit, he would buy a disposable phone once a year to call uncle Stuart and get an update on Mary’s search. Every time, the answer was the same. Chris had given up on her long, long ago. 

What was the point anyway? It wasn’t like they were going to have a mother-son bonding time and then live happily ever after. Neither of them would know how and they wouldn’t even try with Nathan breathing on their necks. It was better being alone. 

The towns around Seattle had proven to be quiet enough for Chris to let him pass unnoticed. The only bad thing was the cold. He was sick and tired of his limbs freezing every single winter. He couldn’t afford a place with heaters that didn’t ask for his parents or credit records, so he had to settle for the ones at school or at malls. Although malls were the last option since they were always full of people, so easy to get them hurt if Nathan caught on to him. 

That day, Chris was thinking about what he was going to do for the night. Classes were over for the Christmas break and he didn’t have a good place to stay. He didn’t like braking in cars, but it was either that or die from hypothermia. Chris could only hope that night’s unfortunate owner had good insurance. 

The boy was about to break the window when he saw movement ahead. He was looking for his trusted gun inside the duffel bag while scanning his surroundings. Bile was climbing up his throat. The feeling was so familiar, yet so unpleasant every time. Plus, the ankle he broke during the last escape wasn’t properly healed. A run won’t do any good. But better limping than dead, isn’t it? 

There was no sign of other people than him. Anyway, Chris moved to the place where he believed to have seen someone. He should be getting far while he could, instead of approaching possible danger. However, there was something attracting him to the hidden shadow. 

Chris stumbled to an alley. After so many years on the run, he had had an endless number of displeasing memories from alleys. He thought he saw the shadow of a woman. _Lola_. Chris could almost feel her knives again when he caught another glimpse from the figure. It was shorter than Lola. Maybe even shorter than him. 

He released a strained breath. It could probably be another homeless kid. 

“Don’t move.” 

The voice speaking from the dark was clearly from a woman, not a girl. Chris stopped. He knew he should turn around and keep going with his business. It surprised him when he answered. 

“Alright.” 

The figure moved from behind the dumpers she was using as cover. She was hesitating. Something seemed off. Chris would’ve offered her some food if only he had any. His dinner taken from a vending machine had vanished hours ago in the blink of an eye. 

“No.” 

“It’s okay. I’m leaving now.” 

Chris knew better by then than to turn his back on a scared person, so he gave a few steps back, still facing the figure covered by the night. Cold was getting worse. He had to be undercover soon if he meant to survive for another day. 

“Wait.” As the woman’s voice got sharper, something inside Chris removed with fury. He tried to recall people he had met along the way. It had been a long way. Too many faces. Too many names. Too many cities. 

“A-Abram?” The name came as a whisper Chris believed had come from his always terrified mind. Then, the woman came closer. 

Regardless of the time and the changes, he would never forget the face that appeared in front of him, yards away, revealed only in parts due to the dim light of the alley. 

Chris’s feet were suddenly rooted to the floor as the short woman approached carefully. So slow as if Chris was a vision. He had lost his voice. Mary’s blond hair was dyed chocolate brown, and her eyes had contacts, just as Neil’s, but they could still recognize each other. 

“Mother?” 

When Mary held a hand to touch Chris, he flinched back. “You’re dead. You left me and you’re dead.” 

The woman took a step back as if punched by the memory. 

“Once out, it was better if I went on.” 

“You didn’t even try to come back.” 

“Oh, if I didn’t.” Despite the cold, Mary lifted her shirt to show a constellation of bullet scars in her belly. 

“I stayed around. I got into that fucking Evermore stadium to take you out.” She took a deep breath. “I tried to break into the house a couple of times over the years, but Nathan strengthened his borders. I heard what he was doing but I wasn’t able to get in and I was certainly not going to make it out alive, so I only hoped you died fast.” 

“Sorry to disappoint.” 

“That mouth hasn’t changed much I see.” 

“Neither is yours.” 

Mary nodded only once. “There’s a small room up this building. You can come.” 

Chris followed his mother. 

*** 

There was no way of denying that Chris had spent a good part of his life wondering what his life would look like with his mother around. At some point, he had started idealizing her. Picturing her as an ever-loving woman with tender manners. How painful it had been to remember it wasn’t the case. 

As weeks went by and they got to know each other again, Chris found that Mary had become as paranoid as him. She was rude to him. She was reckless. She approved Chris’s decision of running from the Butcher and she couldn’t believe that Chris had had the guts to turn Exy down in favor of escaping his father, but that didn’t mean she approved the way Chris had stitched and mended himself. It wasn’t as if he had the privilege of study nursery or take his time. 

She was also mad about Chris’s way of holding the gun and shooting. His aim was good, but that was only because of his good reflexes. Mary was also infuriated when Chris admitted having one or two romantic encounters over the years, and the relief of meeting each other again was cooled completely when Mary punished Chris for all his encounters with the Butcher. 

He started to wonder why was he so glad to find her if she was even more savage and crazy than when they lived together, and that was it. Chris wasn’t alone anymore. He had grown up; he had survived all his encounters with the Butcher and he had a partner to fight with him from now on. 

Whatever the future held; Chris was going to stick by his mother’s side. 

*** 

Turned out both of them had been too long in Seattle. It was time to move again. Chris was reluctant because his money was running out faster than he expected, but Mary had still a good fortune stolen from Nathan with her. It was money intended to buy both of them a good life in the long run, and since it had been only one for years, there was plenty to share. 

Surprisingly, some affinity was still lingering between mother and son, so they agreed to go south, towards California. There were plenty of small towns around for them to settle at least for another year and maybe then they would consider exploring their options in other countries. 

It sounded more certain than any other plan Chris had made since his run throughout Edgar Allan. 

Mary bought the cheapest working car she could, they packed both duffel bags and headed south. It was going to be alright. 

Neither talked much along the way. There was some uneasiness lingering between them. Too many lives keeping them apart. Too many secrets between them. And for Chris, too much time without a close encounter with his father. 

They had stopped at a gas station. Chris went alone inside to pay for the gas. He was thinking about asking why Nathan was so focused on getting him with the Ravens. Mary knew and she has been the one who planned that failed escape. She should at least tell Chris the truth. He decided he will bring that up and get answers even though his mother was always dismissive when he asked something serious, but it was his life too. It would be worth the punishment he’ll get for being noisy. 

As soon as Chris crossed the door, he knew something was wrong. Then, he spotted the Butcher with all his men circling Mary. Everyone was armed to their teeth. 

“My love! How long it has been. It surprises me you’re still breathing. We’ll fix than soon, though.” 

Mary stood defiantly against her husband. Chris could see she was clenching her fists, scanning the surroundings to find some way to get out. Their duffel bags were inside of the car. Both of them carried guns hidden in their clothes, but they were small. It wasn’t going to be enough to stop the Butcher. 

Chris attempted to get back inside the store and find some kind of weapon when Nathan spotted him. 

“But what we have there? It’s a family reunion! Come here, Junior.” 

Mary turned to meet Chris’s gaze. The panic in her eyes was matching his. Memories of that night seven years ago was replaying fresh for all of them. Chris saw in a second the change in Mary. As one of the men approached Chris to bring him closer, Mary lunged as hard as she could towards them. 

Unarmed and terrified, Chris and Mary’s only advantage was that they were fast, and they had been practicing. Within a few punches, both could get their hands on knives and guns, and they started slashing and shooting everything on their way. 

Chris was deflecting Nathan’s feared axe when he heard a deaf punch. He couldn’t look away to see who received it. Romero was surrounding him too. And DiMaccio. On the corner of his eye, he could see Mary having a wild battle with Lola’s knives and her crazy smile. 

They were going to die right there. So close to finding some peace in the plan they had traced together. It wasn’t fair. None of his life had been fair. 

Chris managed to put a bullet on DiMaccio’s feet and a matching one on Romero’s arm, but the aiming took him too long, and Nathan’s axe was swinging directly to his neck when the man stumbled to the side once, and then, Mary gave him another hit with a blood-stained pipe. 

At the sight of Chris, Mary dropped the pipe and grabbed his son fiercely to get him inside the car. He didn’t dare to look back to see if they were being followed. He was too afraid to know. Too shocked to fight again. 

Mary hit the gas as hard as she could. They were speeding through the highway far faster than the speed limit allowed, but there was no time to waste. Chris could only hope the damage done to the Butcher’s men was enough to stop them for at least the time it took his mother and him to vanish again. 

They didn’t slow until they were settled on a plane to California. Mother and son had only stopped to change clothes and attend to their wounds before other people would see them and start asking questions. 

Both were bleeding. Both were sore. Both were used to the pain, so they could keep straight faces for almost the entire flight. Mary drifted off. Chris couldn’t even fathom closing his eyes without seeing his father’s axe making way to his neck. He had never been so close to dying. Not in a very long time. 

By the time the flight was over, it took all of Chris to wake Mary without making a scene. Finally, he was able to take her weight under his as a hug, and usher both of them with their dirty duffel bags out of the plane. 

Mary was awake enough to get a rental car and was too stubborn to let Chris drive. Chris’s nerves were standing on edge as the car veered dangerously out of the way every so often as they advanced. He hadn’t noticed how much had grown the bloodstain in Mary’s belly during the last hours. 

“Mother?” 

“Are we close to Los Angeles?” 

“We need to stop. You’re bleeding.” 

“How long until Los Angeles?” 

“Two hundred miles or so.” 

“We’ll stop there. I won’t let your father lay a hand on you again.” 

“ You're bleeding out.” 

“Really smartass? I’m fine.” 

“Let me drive.” 

“Said I’m fine.” 

Mary got again on their way. As they advanced, it became clear that she wasn’t going to make it. Chris didn’t want his mother to die. He couldn’t lose her again. He hated himself as tears were trying to break free from his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. They were getting to Los Angeles. They would find a safe town to stay. They would attend their wounds properly. They would have a fresh start. 

Chris was almost convinced of his overreaction as he watched the bay stretching as far as he could see when the car drifted to the sand of the deserted beach and came to an abrupt stop. 

“Mother? Mother?” 

Mary had gone limp against the window. Blood was dripping from her mouth. 

“Promise me you’ll never stop running. You’ll never play Exy again.” 

In a few strides, Chris got free from the seatbelt and took his mother’s face into his trembling hands. 

“Mother you can’t die. We just found each other.” 

“Promise me, Nathaniel.” Her voice was turning into a whisper. “You’ll cover your steps. You’ll be careful. Really careful.” 

“Mother?” 

“Take all the money. Take everything. Call Stuart if you must.” 

“Mother come on!” 

Suddenly, Mary opened wide her eyes and yanked Chris from the hair hard enough to make him wince. 

“Promise me, Nathaniel! I didn’t find you for Nathan to kill you.” 

“I-I-” 

“Never stop running. Never play Exy again. Say it, Nathaniel.” 

“I-” 

When Chris finally mumbled “I can’t”, Mary had stopped breathing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reaching the end! This will be continued in the final part of the series. 
> 
> Thoughts? Feelings? Requests? Questions? Comment below and tell me what you want to read next :D 
> 
> You can find drawings and more AFTG / TRC on [@trispitas](https://www.instagram.com/trispitas/) and [@doodlingstuff](https://doodlingstuff.tumblr.com/).  
> See you there!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! See you in the next chapter :)


End file.
